Beyond the Sea
by RussianWolf7
Summary: Post season seven. Mulder's gone, Scully gets sent to work with Temperence Brennan. Five years later, she meets up with Mulder again. X-Files/Bones crossover, but nothing important.
1. Prelude

**Title:** Beyond the Sea: Chapter One--Prelude

**Pairing:** Mulder/Scully, possibly Bones/someone later. Not sure yet.

**Warnings:** Nothing yet...Probably sex and gore (not at the same time ) later.

**Word Count:** 255

**Rating:** PG-13 for now, higher later.

**Spoilers:** Through season seven.

**Disclaimer:** The X-Files belong to Chris Carter. Bones belongs to...oh god, it's too late for this. Whoever it belongs to. Not me. Beyond the Sea belongs to Bobby Darin.

**Author's Note:** Post season seven. I got inspired by the new movie squee and started my own "Let's see what happens" story. It's a Bones crossover, but that's not the important part. You can ignore it. And yes, don't worry, Mulder will be in it soon enough :-P

_Prelude_

"Dana."

Scully tore her gaze away from the file on the desk and looked at Skinner. "Yes, sir?"

He sighed, a mix of sadness, anger and confusion all expressed in the one breath. "As I'm sure you've heard, the X-Files are officially closed. Again." He waited for some sign of understanding, but continued anyway when he didn't get one. "I fought for it, but with Agent Mulder gone…"

"It wouldn't be the same," Scully finished quietly. She turned away, suddenly blinking back tears. "I understand."

"No, it wouldn't be." Skinner paused. "Pending his return, you're going to be working at the Jeffersonian with a Dr. Temperance Brennan. Do you know the name?" Scully shook her head, still not looking at him. "She's a forensic anthropologist. She works mostly with bones, so you'll be there to assist on cases where the victims have more…" He trailed off uncomfortably, hoping Scully would fill in the blank. She didn't. "When the victims are more substantial," he finished. "You begin on Monday."

"Yes, sir." Scully stood up and left, closing the door softly behind her.

Skinner sighed again and put his head in his hands. Losing one agent was hard enough, but two? He hadn't been lying—he had fought tooth and nail to keep the X-Files alive. But no, the orders had come in, and that was that.

There was a buzzing, and then his secretary was saying something. He cut her off with a curt, "Hold everything." He wasn't surprised to hear a catch in his voice.


	2. The New Year

**Title:** Beyond the Sea: Chapter Two--The New Year

**Pairing:** Mulder/Scully, possibly Bones/someone later. Not sure yet.

**Warnings:** Nothing yet...Probably sex and gore (not at the same time ) later.

**Word Count:** 1,526

**Rating:** PG-13 for now, higher later.

**Spoilers:** Through season seven of The X-Files, relationship stuff in Bones.

**Disclaimer:** The X-Files belong to Chris Carter. Bones belongs to...oh god, it's too late for this. Whoever it belongs to. Not me. Beyond the Sea belongs to Bobby Darin. The New Year belongs to Death Cab For Cutie as much as a phrase like that can have an owner

**Author's Note:** The Bones parts of this don't take place in a specific timeine relating to the show because it has to fit in with the X-Files timeline (mid-2000 for now), so just deal. It takes place when it's handy for me to have to take place.

Thank you for the lovely reviews. They make me happy and want to write more

_The New Year_

The first thing Bones said was: "This is my lab."

Scully raised an eyebrow. "Okay."

"Cam says I have to work with you so I will, but I'm in charge and this is my lab."

In all honesty, Scully was more amused than anything else. She hadn't known what to expect from Bones, but this wasn't it. "Okay," she repeated.

A man with short, curly hair materialized next to Bones, waving a piece of paper in the air. "I got it! The soil from this boots contained—" He broke off. "Who are you?"

Scully smiled and held out her hand. "Special Agent Dana Scully. I'm going to be working with you now."

He glanced at Bones. "Since when do we need another fed?"

Scully bristled. "I'm also a doctor," she said stiffly. "I deal with the _entire_ cadaver."

"Yeah, whatever." He turned back to Bones. "Come over here. Let me show you the particles I found."

Scully followed the two over to a microscope. "What did you say your name was?" she asked as Bones looked into the microscope.

"Hodgins. This is a rare form of pollen that only exists in Potomac, Maryland."

Bones looked up, looking exited. "That means—"

"Exactly. It must've been Perkins."

She smiled. "Good work. I'll go call Booth." She disappeared, not bothering to acknowledge Scully.

Hodgins eyed Scully. "Why are you here?"

She paused, torn between a lie and the truth. "My partner left."

"Ouch. What happened?"

Scully frowned. She knew Mulder would want her to tell the truth, but the desire to not be the outcast, the crazy one yet again, was nearly overwhelming. "He was abducted by aliens," she said quickly, forcing it out.

There was a pause. Then, "Seriously?"

She looked up. Hodgins' face was bright, his eyes shining. "Uh, yeah."

"Oh man that is so cool. You have to tell me everything about it."

She stared at him. "You believe in aliens."

"Yeah, so? Clearly you do, and your partner." He paused, eyes widening. "Did you say your name was Scully?"

"Yeah…"

"So your partner was Mulder?"

"Yes."

Hodgins grinned, pumping the air with one hand. "We have so much to talk about."

_--section break--_

Before Scully knew what was happening, they were sitting down in a small diner opposite the Jeffersonian and Hodgins was looking at her expectantly.

"Well?" he said eventually.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well what?"

"What was it like? You were there, weren't you?"

"I was, but—"

"But what?"

Her temper flared. All of the pent-up sadness, fear and anger that she had felt over the past week surfaced, and Hodgins was the nearest target. "What makes you think that you have the right to ask about any of this?" Scully yelled, standing up. "Did it even occur to you that maybe this was hard for me? That maybe Mulder meant everything to me, and now he's gone? He chose goddamned little green men over me, and now I'm supposed to tell you all about it? I don't think so." She slammed the door as she left, oblivious to everyone staring at her. She was shaking—she couldn't remember the last time she had yelled at anyone like that. When she and Mulder had fought, she was always calm, carefully explaining the problem. She didn't blow up like that; she just didn't.

All Scully wanted to do was go home and stop thinking about all of this, but she couldn't remember how to get back to the Jeffersonian, let alone where she parked. It was the final straw—she had parked in exactly same space every day when she had worked with Mulder, and that was the one place where she was sure her car wasn't. She started crying, sliding down the wall of the building, not trying to hold back anymore.

"Hey, Scully, I'm so sorry." Hodgins crouched down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I got caught up in the moment, but I never meant to—"

"It's not you," she sniffed. "It's Mulder. I cared about the bastard, and I miss him like hell." To hear the words said out loud, especially with the uncharacteristic swears, brought it all home. Again. The worst part was the one person she had turned to was Mulder, and he was gone.

"It's okay," Hodgins said. "Come on, let's get you back to the lab."

Scully nodded miserably. Work came first. Mulder had proved that to her.

"And if you ever need anyone to talk to, aliens aside, talk to Angela."

Scully looked up, surprised. "Who?"

Hodgins was grinning. "My girlfriend, a.k.a. one of the squints."

She frowned. "Squints?"

"Lab geeks. Well, she's not really, but she works with us, so it's close enough. She does facial reconstructions, not to mention the Angelator."

Scully's face lit up, and she hastily wiped tears off her cheeks. "Angela Montenegro?" she asked. "I had no idea I would be working with her."

Hodgins grinned "Yeah, we're pretty cool."

_--section break--_

The body came in the next day. Scully was already suited up to perform an autopsy and was ready to start cutting when Bones appeared.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Scully looked up. "My job."

"You can't do that yet. Hodgins—"

"—has already taken samples, Angela photographed everything, and Zack is waiting for me to be done so he can clean the bones."

Bones' mouth tightened. She was clearly looking for some flaw, something she could point out, but she couldn't find one. "Next time tell me before you start doing anything."

"Whatever," Scully muttered under her breath. She turned on her tape recorder. "Dana Scully, badge number JTTO331613. Tuesday, May 29, 2000…"

Bones continued to observe as Scully started the autopsy. Scully ignored her completely, and by the time she was done, Bones had left.

"I don't like having new people around."

Scully turned around to see Bones standing behind her. "I noticed," she said dryly.

"Booth says it's because I have issues with being in control, but…" Her lips tightened. "I don't believe in psychology."

"Okay," Scully said slowly, turning back to her microscope.

"But it seems like you're going to be here for a while, and you are clearly good at what you do. So. Welcome to the team." Bones held out a hand, uncomfortably with the prospect.

Still amused, Scully shook it. "I have work to do," she said.

"What are you're looking at?"

An eyebrow raised, she replied, "It's some sort of abnormality in the brain matter, but I can't figure out what it means."

Bones looked at it. "Could it be some sort of genetic abnormality? A disease?"

"No, I don't think so. I gave Zack a sample, so hopefully we'll have some answers soon."

Bones smiled, a mix of approval and something else, something Scully couldn't quite identify. "Good work," she said, and left.

Scully stared after her for a minute, then turned back to the microscope.

_--section break--_

"Why are you working here?"

Scully continued to put on her coat, saying, "I was assigned here."

Bones leaned against the wall, eyeing her. "Why? We already have Booth, and as far as I knew, there hadn't been any plans to work with anything but bones."

Scully started rooting through her purse, keeping her eyes down. "It's a long story."

"Tell me. If we're going to be working together, I need to know your motives."

Scully almost started laughing. After all her work with Mulder, having her motives questioned here, now, seemed ridiculous. "The F.B.I. wants me out of the way where I can't do any damage."

"Are you going to?"

Scully looked up. "Going to what?"

Bones locked eyes with her. "Cause any damage."

There was a pause. "Only if it's necessary."

Bones continued to look at her, letting the silence spin out. Scully stood up straight, aware that she was being tested in some way. She almost wanted to fail, to stay the spooky one, because it was comfortable, what she was used to. But another part of her was praying to finally be accepted. She was surprised at how strongly she wanted it, but in a way she wasn't.

Finally, Bones smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Scully smiled back. "Thank you," she said, not thinking.

Bones looked confused. "For what?"

Scully thought about it. She doubted this woman had heard of her, or her reputation, and it probably seemed like a very odd question. "For giving me a chance," she said, thinking that wasn't quite right.

Bones looked surprised. "Of course. I give everyone an equal chance."

_That's it,_ Scully thought. _I'm finally in a place where I'm judged for myself instead of any reputation._ She left, turning back at the last minute to say, "I think I'm really going to like working here."

"Good," Bones said, satisfied.

7


	3. Hold On HopeThe Day The World Went Away

**Title:** Beyond the Sea: Chapter Three--Hold On Hope/The Day The World Went Away

**Pairing:** Mulder/Scully, possibly Bones/someone later. Not sure yet.

**Warnings:** Nothing yet...Probably sex and gore (not at the same time ) later.

**Word Count:** 2,011

**Rating:** PG-13 for now, higher later.

**Spoilers:** Through season seven.

**Disclaimer:** The X-Files belong to Chris Carter. Bones belongs to...oh god, it's too late for this. Whoever it belongs to. Not me. Beyond the Sea belongs to Bobby Darin. Hold On Hope belongs to Guided by Voices. The Day The World Went Away belongs to Nine Inch Nails.

**Author's Note:** I know it's sad, but I promise he comes back eventually. And hey, I'm updating quickly, so it probably won't take too long (probably).

_Hold On Hope/The Day The World Went Away_

The doorbell rang.

Still laughing, Scully said, "Hang on, I'll be right back."

Bones waved her on, mouth full of chicken.

Scully opened the door on an empty hallway. She looked around; no one. A chill ran through her and she looked down, knowing what she would find. A piece of paper lay just outside the door and she picked it up with shaking hands. She vaguely heard Bones asking who it was and she ignored her, unfolding the paper. The two words were written in block letters, undeniably proclaiming their message. She felt the world start to spin and she reached out blindly for the wall, not able to see it through the blossoming gray clouding her vision.

"Scully? What—" Bones stopped mid sentence, barely reaching Scully before she passed out.

—_section break—_

Scully opened her eyes, reaching instinctively for the note. She didn't find it. "Where's—"

"It's on the coffee table," Bones said from her place on the floor next to Scully. She had a bowl of cold water and a washcloth next to her. "Are you okay?"

Scully shook her head mutely. She sat up slowly, trying to wrap her head around what the note said. She had no doubt that it was true, but what exactly it meant…Was he even alive? Conscious? Did he remember anything?

"Mulder's back, isn't he?"

"I…" She was cut off by the phone ringing. The two woman looked at each other before Scully answered it. "Hello?"

"Agent Scully? This is Skinner. I have news for you."

"Mulder's back," she said, her voice dull with shock.

"How did you know?" Skinner asked sharply.

Scully ran her fingers lightly over the note. "Someone told me. Is he okay?"

Skinner paused, then said, "Yes and no. He's alive and awake, but he doesn't remember anything from the past year and a half. He's in the hospital now, and—"

"Where?" she interrupted.

"I can't tell you."

Scully was shocked into silence. "Wh-what do you mean you can't tell me?" she stammered.

"You can't see him."

She stood up, nearly knocking over the coffee table and coming within inches of stepping on Bones. She started pacing the room as she yelled, "What do you mean I can't see him? He's my partner, not to mention my best friend. I need to—"

"Look, Scully, I can't do anything about it. The government—"

"You mean Cancer Man," she interrupted bitterly.

"—has decided that this is the excuse they've been looking for to bury Mulder. _I_ don't even know where he's staying."

"Then find out!"

Skinner's voice was cold and hard. "Remember your place, Agent Scully. You may not work for me anymore, but that doesn't mean—"

"I can't believe you," she hissed. "You don't care anymore, do you? This is all just some twisted game that Cancer Man has you playing. You bastard." Scully hung up, contemplating throwing the phone across the room. She decided that wouldn't help anything, especially if Mulder tried to call her, so she put it back in the charger before collapsing back on the couch.

"Do you—" Bones started.

Scully glared at her, cutting off any further questions. "Leave."

"Are you sure? I find that—"

"This has nothing to do with you," Scully said, her voice deceptively calm. She saw Bones staring at her, the look of concern on her face, and she sighed. "Look, I don't know what's going to happen, but you don't need to be involved. Please, just go."

Bones continued to look at Scully before finally saying, "Call me if you need anything."

Scully nodded distractedly, picking up the note and turning it over, hoping for some sort of clue. She barely heard the door close as Bones left; she just kept looking at the note, unable to look away.

**HE'S BACK**

—_section break—_

The first thing Scully did was to call all the hospitals in the area. Like she suspected, they all denied that Mulder was there, and she could tell she wouldn't get anything out of them. She thought of giving them her badge number, threatening them, but she figured they had already been threatened by the masters, and nothing she could say would change anything. They probably had been told to lie, especially if it was she who had called. Besides, there was no real reason why he would be in DC. He could be anywhere.

_Masking tape,_ she thought. _Where's my masking tape?_

Scully nearly tore her apartment apart before she finally found it, shoved in the back of a drawer. She ripped off two pieces and made the X that Mulder nearly always had on his window. She suspected it wouldn't work—it hadn't the last time she had tried to use it—but she had to try. She stood in front of the window staring at it, trying to think of something—anything—she could do, but nothing came to mind. Skinner clearly wasn't going to be any help, and it wasn't like she had made very many friends at the bureau.

_There's Booth…_but she didn't think he would be much help. Realistically, Bones was probably filling him in now, and he would help out of some misguided sense of chivalry, but unless he knew a lot more than he let on, he wasn't going to be able to do anything. She didn't know any of Mulder's old contacts, except…

Scully grabbed the phone and dialed, surprising herself that she still knew the number off the top of her head. She started pacing again as it rang, trying to think of what she would do if they didn't answer.

"Scully! Good to hear from you! How's it going?"

She breathed a sigh of relief. "I need to see you now. All of you."

She could picture Frohike snapping to attention, his feet sliding off the desk as he sat up straight. "What's wrong?"

"I can't tell you over the phone. Can I come over?"

"Always," Frohike says, but the innuendo was lost in his concern. "I'll get the guys together."

"I'll be there in fifteen," Scully said. She hung up, grabbing her keys and all but running out the door.

—_section break—_

Scully rang the doorbell, both comforted and disquieted by the familiarity. The door opened almost immediately. Frohike, tailed by Byers and Langly, crowded the doorway.

"What's wrong?" Frohike asked.

She looked around. "Let me in first," she said. "I don't know…" She trailed off, knowing they'd understand.

They did. Byers and Langly stepped aside, and Frohike led them to the main room. Scully had almost forgotten how many electronics there were. Things that blinked, things that buzzed, things that whirred…

"Scully?" Langly asked.

She shook herself. "It's Mulder," she said quietly, sitting down in the nearest chair.

The three of them exchanged a look. "What about him?" Byers asked.

"Is he back?"

Scully nodded. "But I don't know where he is, or how he's doing, and the F.B.I. is determined to keep it that way. According to Skinner, they're burying him."

Frohike was already at one of the many computers, typing unnaturally fast. "Do you have any idea where he is?"

Scully shook her head. "All I know is that he's alive and awake, but he doesn't remember anything from the time he was abducted." She paused. "Supposedly."

"Are you sure this isn't a hoax?" Byers asked. "Somebody pulling your leg?"

"I'm sure," she replied. It was possible that the note was planted and Skinner was either lying to her or being lied to himself, but she felt it. Mulder was back.

There were a few minutes of silence as the Lone Gunmen worked. The only sounds were their typing and the steady beeping of a hundred different machines. Scully sat anxiously in her chair, looking at everything and nothing at the same time.

Frohike slammed the keyboard. "I can't find anything."

"Whoever's covering this up, they're doing a hell of a job," Langly added. "I came up blank, too."

Byers remained silent. Scully looked at him expectantly. "Well?"

"I might've…" he trailed off, too focused on what he was doing to finish his sentence.

"You might've what?" she snapped, the strain of the night getting to her.

"Give me a second," he replied, unfazed.

They fell silent again, tense and expectant. Eventually, he said,

"I think I have an idea about where he is."

"Where?" The question didn't come from one of them, but from all three.

"Well, that's the thing. It doesn't make any sense."

"Frohike, I swear if you don't…" Scully trailed off.

"There are ten different people in hospitals across the country that could be him. That, in fact, are him. Fox Mulder, 40 years old, same medical history. They were all admitted with partial amnesia and general injuries."

Scully sat back, stunned. "They cloned him."

"No, I don't think so," Byers replied. "I think they're trying to confuse anybody looking for him. For all we know, none of these are actually him."

"We have to find out," she said. "Go visit the hospitals, break in if we have to, and—"

"Do you really think they'll let us in?" Langly asked. "Security on any of those patients is going to be crazy, let alone wherever Mulder actually is."

"Give us some more time, another day or two, and we'll get back to you," Frohike said. He saw that she was about to argue, and he held up a hand. "We care about him as much as you do. We're going to find him, don't worry."

Scully sighed. "Call me as soon as you find something."

"We will."

She left, discouraged.

—_section break—_

Frohike called in the middle of an autopsy. She tore off her gloves and answered the phone, not noticing or caring about the incredulous stare that Cam was giving her.

"Did you find him?" she asked, moving to the far corner of the lab.

"No. None of the people Byers found were him. We've been running a program that searches through every hospital in the country, but that'll take weeks. Then we'll need to search through it by hand, and…" Frohike trailed off.

Scully's eyes welled up, full of hot, angry tears. "You can't give up," she said. "There has to be something."

"Nobody said anything about giving up," he said, though his voice said something different. "We're going to keep looking. Just…don't get your hopes up."

The tears started to fall, coursing down her face. "I can't help it," she said, her voice cracking. "After a year and a half, to finally hear…" She trailed off, unable to keep talking.

"I know."

"No, you don't," she said, hanging up. She grasped the railing she was leaning against, holding it as tightly as she could. Her eyes were closed, tears still falling.

"What the hell was that?" Cam asked, her voice seeming to come from far away. "You can't just—" She stopped talking, and Scully heard Bones saying something. As far as she knew, Bones and Booth were the only ones who knew anything about what was going on.

After a few moments, Cam said, "Take the rest of the day off."

Scully nodded. She would, just as soon as she thought she could walk again.

—_section break—_

"Still thinking about Mulder?"

Scully looked up from her sandwich. In fact, she had been thinking about all of the times that he had gotten her lunch, but there had been something else, something deeper.

"It's been a month," Bones said. "Realistically—"

"Why hasn't he called?" Scully interrupted. "He has my number. He knows my email address. Even my home address, if he's in a place without a computer. Even if someone was watching, he would've thought of something. Why hasn't he called?"

"Statistically speaking, he's been away long enough that he's probably dead. But," she added quickly, "that doesn't necessarily mean anything. For all we know he's…" She trailed off, unable to think of a positive alternative.

Scully didn't say anything; she didn't need to.

9


	4. Here We Go Again

**Title:** Beyond the Sea: Chapter Four--Here We Go Again

**Pairing:** Mulder/Scully

**Warnings:** Nothing yet...Sex later. Still maybe gore, but looking unlikely.

**Word Count:** 1,664

**Rating:** PG-13 for now, higher later.

**Spoilers:** Through season seven.

**Disclaimer:** The X-Files belong to Chris Carter. Bones belongs to...oh god, it's too late for this. Whoever it belongs to. Not me. Beyond the Sea belongs to Bobby Darin. Here We Go Again belongs to Paramore.

**Author's Note:** It gets better a little bit in. I was having not-quite-writer's block and it took a while to get going. But don't worry, half of chapter five is already written, and guess who that has!

_Here We Go Again_

"Scully. Bones. Come over here."

"This can't take long," Scully said as she walked over, Bones trailing behind her. "I have to finish going over the rest of the flesh before Zack cleans the bones."

"Not anymore you don't. There's a conference in Texas next week that you need to go to. Seminar on Legal-Medical Issues. You could both use the refresher."

Bones and Scully exchanged a glance.

"That was only the one time," Scully started.

"And we still won the case," Bones added. "It just…"

Cam grinned cynically. "Right. The fact that you need to explain yourselves is enough." Scully flushed, Cam's words hitting home. "You leave on Sunday."

"Fine," Scully said, walking away.

Bones glanced at Scully, then turned back to Cam. "Don't be mean," she scolded before turning away. "Are you okay?" she asked, catching up with Scully.

She nodded. "It just brought up old memories. I'll be fine." She smiled. It didn't reach her eyes.

Bones knew better than to press her about this—in the five years of their friendship, she still had only a basic understanding of Scully's work on the X-Files—but that didn't stop her. "Are you sure?" she asked. "You don't seem fine."

Scully's fingers tightened on the edge of the table where the remains where laid out. "I'm fine, Bones. I have work to do." She loosened her grip and tried to remember what she had been doing. Oh, right. Trying to figure out what that blue discoloration all over the victim's chest was. She picked up her tape recorder and started working, ignoring the concerned and slightly annoyed look from her friend.

—_section break—_

The plane ride was shorter than Scully had expected. It had been a long time since she had flown, and she couldn't remember the last time she had travelled without Mulder. But today, it seemed, she was doing a better job of hiding her feelings. Scully did insist on driving, refusing to do anything that might possibly remind her of him. Bones didn't mind, especially when she saw that all they had was an old Ford.

_Government issue, just like the old days,_ Scully thought, throwing her suitcase in the back. She paused. _What's wrong with me? I haven't thought about him in years._ A blatant lie, but it was true that she hadn't been this upset, at least noticeably, in quite some time. _It's almost like…_

"Scully? Everything okay?"

Scully shook herself. How long had she been standing by the open trunk? "Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled, sliding into the driver's seat. She turned the car on and started driving.

"Do you know where we're going?" Bones asked.

"You have the directions, right?"

"They're right here, but—"

"Then start directing."

—_section break—_

Courtesy of their _per diem_, they had gotten a single room. The two beds were both large, a TV was on the wall opposite the beds, and a single chair stood by itself in the corner. Scully put her suitcases down and collapsed on the bed, exhausted even thought it was only five. She rolled over to face Bones, and heard something crinkle beneath the sheets.

_Great,_ she thought, reaching for it. _They probably forgot to clean the rooms, and there'll be all sorts of…_ She trailed off, staring blankly at the piece of paper in her hand. It was folded in half and had her name printed neatly on the front.

"What is it?"

Scully shook her head mutely, unfolding it. Written in the same writing as the other note, the one she still had, folded and hidden in the back of a desk drawer, was this:

**FORREST MARSHALL**

**502 555 3980**

"He must hate his name," Scully said blankly.

Bones eyed her friend carefully. It clearly hadn't sunk it yet, if that's even who it was—though she could hardly think of who else it could be—and she wasn't sure how to approach the matter. "Are you going to call him?" she asked eventually.

Scully turned the note over. There were only two words on the other side, but they broke her paralysis.

**BE CAREFUL**

Scully suddenly crumpled the note, shoving it deep in her pocket. "Not now," she said, her voice low. Everything Mulder had taught her about** BEING CAREFUL** was rushing back. It felt good. "We can't talk about it here, but we can't do anything that might seem suspicious, either. We're going to need to be very, very careful. I doubt they've bugged our room—and if they have, it's too late—because I don't think they know about this leak. Not yet, at least." She paused. "You should go home. This isn't your—"

"I'm not leaving," Bones said firmly. "If for no other reason than it might look suspicious. I'll call Booth, get him down here, and—"

"No. Absolutely not. Nobody but the two of us can know about this." Scully locked eyes with Bones. "Do you understand?"

Bones nodded. She had never seen Scully like this, and it was almost frightening. But she had also never seen her look so alive, or so…so _right_. This was what Scully was born to do, and it was beautiful.

Scully ran her hands through her hair. "I'm going to go take a shower and figure out what's next. Don't do anything stupid."

Bones bristled. She wasn't used to not being in charge, although she would clearly forfeit leadership now, but being told not to do anything stupid…Bones was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. "I can take care of myself," she said coolly. "You can trust me."

"It's not you I don't trust. It's everyone else."

—_section break—_

It was late Tuesday night, and Scully hadn't said anything about the note. Bones didn't want to raise the subject herself—she wasn't sure if that counted as doing something stupid, but she thought it might—but she also didn't want to be completely uninformed. If these people were as dangerous as Scully thought they were, she wanted to know what she was up against. The battle with Booth about whether she could carry a gun had been won long ago, but she hadn't thought to bring it with her to the conference. It was easy enough for Scully to get hers though security—all she had to do was flash her badge—but it was considerably harder for her.

Scully glanced at the clock. She closed her book and turned to Bones. "You should leave."

"Why?"

"I don't want anyone to think you're involved."

"What are you—?"

Scully shook her head, cutting off her sentence. "I don't know what's going to happen, and it's better if you aren't here."

"No. I'm here, and that's where I'm staying. You can rant all you want about the government conspiracies, the aliens, even the boogeyman for all I care. You're my friend, and I'm not leaving."

A look of incredible frustration flashed across Scully's face before being replaced with an unhappy but resolute expression. "Fine." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the paper with shaking hands. She was about to start dialing when Bones spoke up.

"Let me."

Scully stared at her. Her first reaction had been a deafening no, but if Bones was even suggesting it, she probably had a good reason. Or at least thought she did. "Why?"

"Mulder's obviously alive, but he hasn't called you, or contacted you in any sort of way. You might be able to get through, but the second you did, they would know." Bones had no idea if that was true or not, but Scully seemed to think it probably was. "If I call him, saying I'm a forensic anthropologist from the Jeffersonian, I could ask for his help on a case, or…" She trailed off. "We have no idea what he does, do we? For all we know, he could be a—a carpet cleaner, or something."

Scully smiled almost imperceptivity. "I talked an old friend; he's doing profiles for the F.B.I. And you're right, it probably would be a better idea for you to call." Bones started reaching for the note with his number, and Scully pulled back. "But I have to do this myself. You can stay if you have to, but I need to call him." Scully reached for the hotel phone, having already decided that her cell probably couldn't get through. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Hands still shaking, she dialed.

—_section break—_

He didn't pick up. But the voice on the answering machine was undeniably his.

"You've reached Forrest Marshall at 555-3980. Please leave a message after the beep."

Scully almost forgot to start talking.

"Mulder, it's me." She stopped, unable to believe how stupid she was. She hadn't meant to call him Mulder—in fact, she couldn't have thought of anything worse she could've done—but it had been habit, so strongly ingrained in her that she hadn't been able to help it. _Might as well go all the way,_ she thought. _It's not like I can make it any worse._ "I'm in Austin for a conference, and I was..." She faltered. "…given your number." She paused. What next? "If you can, call me. I'm staying at the Radisson, in room 217." _That's it, Dana. Give them your address. Why not some handy directions, so they don't even have to Google it before they come over and kill you?_ "Right. So. I'll here from you soon, I hope. Bye." She hung up.

"Are you—?"

"I don't want to talk," Scully interrupted She kept her eyes closed, not able to look at Bones. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. It seemed that every nerve in her body was shaking, suddenly alive and ready for whatever came. Her heart, on the other hand, was heavy and aching, and if she didn't get herself under control very quickly, she was going to start crying.

The phone rang.

7


	5. Resurrection

**Title:** Beyond the Sea: Chapter Five--Resurrection

**Pairing:** Mulder/Scully, possibly Bones/someone later. Not sure yet.

**Warnings:** Sex later. (duh :-P)

**Word Count:** 1,620

**Rating:** PG-13 for now, higher later.

**Spoilers:** Through season seven of The X-Files, relationship stuff in Bones.

**Disclaimer:** The X-Files belong to Chris Carter. Bones belongs to...oh god, it's too late for this. Whoever it belongs to. Not me. Beyond the Sea belongs to Bobby Darin. Resurrection belongs to HIM. I know it doesn't fit perfectly, but it's close and I'm hungry and I wanna go get ready to see I Want To Believe.

**Author's Note:** Whoo! I'm going to go see I Want To Believe in three and a half hours! --dances-- There will probably be more tonight/tomorrow morning, but don't count on it. I've been on vacation and I need to pack before flying half way across the country. Starting tomorrow morning I won't have internet until Wednesday --cries-- so there won't be any new chapters until then, maybe not until Thursday depending on how coordinated J. is. There's a small chance I won't have internet until Sunday night, but hopefully not. In any case, I'll still be writing, so don't think I've given up on y'all. I haven't

_Resurrection_

The phone started to ring as Mulder was unlocking his door. He let out a huge sigh, thinking that if they needed him to come in for yet another all-nighter, he was going to scream. He took his time letting himself in, actually hanging up his coat and putting his briefcase where it belonged.

"You've reached Forrest Marshall at 512-555-3980. Please leave a message after the beep."

Mulder cringed. He hated his new name even more than he had hated Fox. In fact, there was little he wouldn't give to have his old name, his old life, back. He collapsed on the couch, thinking for the thousandth time that the new, clean leather thing he was sitting on wasn't nearly as comfortable as the old, falling apart piece of shit he had had in his old apartment.

"Mulder, it's me."

He froze. The voice was so familiar, so soothing, but it was impossible. She was dead, had died trying to find him.

"I'm in Austin for a conference, and I was...given your number."

But it was her, undeniably so. When he first started working again he had run her name through every database he could think of but they all said the same thing: Dana Katherine Scully, born February 23, 1964, died April 29, 2001.

"If you can, call me. I'm staying at the Radisson, in room 217."

He had called her number, both her cell and her home, and they had both been disconnected. He had emailed her, but they all bounced back. He even wrote to her, expecting and receiving nothing. He had almost called Maggie a hundred times but always hung up before he finished dialing, sure that she would hate him for getting her daughter killed.

"Right. So. I'll here from you soon, I hope. Bye."

All rational thought gone, Mulder sprang up, grabbed the phone, and called the hotel. They put him through, and a minute later he was pacing the apartment that was never his, waiting for her to pick up. Just before he was about to give up, she answered.

"Hello?"

Mulder closed his eyes, memories flooding through him. The first time they met, when he still had those ridiculous glasses, the first time he had saved her life, when she had been abducted and he was sure he'd never see her again, when she had gotten cancer and then when she had been saved. All of the times she had been there for him, had stuck by him through all of the stupid cases and all of the times he had been convinced Samantha was back, all of the times he had called her and she had answered just like that. And then when he had been told she was dead. They had offered to take him to her grave but he had refused, not wanting to see a tombstone with her name on it for a second time. He sat heavily in a chair that didn't feel like his.

"Scully?" His voice came out strangled, and he leaned his head in his hand, closing his eyes and then opening them, hoping he'd be back in his old apartment and everything would be how it used to be.

A long, heavy sigh. "Mulder."

He didn't know what to say, how he could possibly express the desolation of the last five years, how empty it had seemed without her, how much he needed her back in his life. He had no idea how long the silence spun out before she finally asked,

"Why didn't you call?"

Mulder closed his eyes again. "They told me you were dead." He wanted to explain all he had gone through to confirm it, all of the sleepless nights that had followed, but he couldn't find the right words and even if he had, he was sure they would come out all wrong. "Scully, I—"

"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice breaking. "I knew you were back, I never should've—"

"No, it's my fault. I didn't ever really believe you were dead—"

Conversation stopped again, both of them trying to say too much in to few words.

"I need to see you," Scully said quietly. "I don't care what happens, or who's watching. I can't—" She broke off again.

"Now."

"Wh-what? Right now?" She asked, trying first to think of a reason why she couldn't, and then trying to figure out why she wanted a reason in the first place.

"You just said you didn't care. Well, guess what, Scully. I don't, either." The devil-may-care tone she was so used to was back in his voice, and she knew that nothing she could say could change his mind. He gave her his address and hung up before she could stall. He knew she wanted to see him as much as he wanted to see her, but he also knew that she was scared, probably more of him than of any potential consequences. He needed to see her.

—_section break—_

Mulder had just finished convincing himself that she wasn't going to come when the doorbell rang. He leapt up, nearly tripping over the coffee table (that, at least, was the same) in his eagerness to answer the door. But once he was standing there, his hand on the knob, he hesitated. He had thought that she might not come because she was scared to see him after all these years, and he discovered he was a little nervous, too. How much had changed? What was her job? Did she have a family? Did she—

The doorbell rang again, jolting him out of his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

She stood before him as she always had. Her hair was longer but other than that she looked the same. Plain, black suit, sensible shoes, enough makeup to know it's there but not detract from how beautiful she was…He whispered her name and pulled her to him, holding her. She hugged him back, and he wondered if he'd ever be able to let go. He looked down at her and she looked up and then he was kissing her, lips gently brushing hers, hands coming up to cup her face. She lightly rested a hand on the back of his neck before pulling away, leaning her forehead on his like they used to do.

"I missed you so much," Mulder said.

"I have too." She smiled, and stepped out of his embrace. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

He grinned and held out an arm. "Mi casa es su casa."

She walked in, looking around. It was nice, certainly more expensive and government issue that his old one, but it wasn't him. The only piece of Mulder in the apartment was a double frame; a picture of Samantha was in one half, and an old picture of Scully was in the other. She smiled.

"I know it's kind of plain, but…" He trailed off, sitting on the couch.

Scully turned around, her smiled replaced with concern. "How have you been?" she asked. "Do you remember anything from the abduction?"

Mulder's face clouded and he drew into himself, the way he used to before they were close. "No," he said curtly. She watched him force himself to calm down, and he turned his attention to her. "What about you? What've you been up to the past five years?"

"I've been working at the Jeffersonian," she said, sitting down in one of the chairs. "Forensic anthropology. It's actually very interesting. I mean, it's not the X-Files, but I like it."

"Do you miss it?" he asked quietly. "They have me doing profiles again, and I can't stand it. After all of the things we've seen it just seems so…"

"Mundane?" Scully offered.

Mulder smiled. "Exactly."

She sighed. "Yes. I do." There was silence but it was comfortable, the way it used to be when they were trying to puzzle through the latest conspiracy. She looked up, a sparkle in her eye. "Remember when we used to pull all-nighters?"

He grinned. "We'd order a pizza, find something crappy on TV…"

"Pretend to be working on the case?" She smiled, a full blown Scully smile that made Mulder's stomach flip.

_I've missed that, too,_ he thought. "I'll order, you find something to watch." He tossed her the remote and started dialing. Scully was amused to see he had the number memorized. She turned on the TV and started flipping through the stations, trying to find something decent. Eventually she found Plan Nine From Outer Space, content to watch Mulder quote along with it for the rest of the night. She watched him pace the room as he ordered and smiled; he never could sit still when he was on the phone.

"They'll be here in thirty minutes or so," he said, sitting back down. When he saw what was playing he smiled. "Come, sit," he invited, patting the seat next to him.

Scully moved from her chair to the couch without saying anything, letting him wrap an arm around her. The physical contact was a necessity, each of them needing to be able to feel the other, make sure they were really there. She rested her head on his chest, curling up next to him. He absentmindedly kissed the top of her head, loving how she felt in his arms.

"How many times now?"

He grinned. "54."

6


End file.
